Bleach is a name many new anime fans have heard in passing, and one older fans remember with nostalgia. It was once a part of the mighty BIG 3, the top-of-the-line anime and manga series which ruled Shonen Jump and the anime world. But of the three, Bleach lost popularity far more quickly for many reasons, as detailed later on, and was soon forgotten by the community as new and more exciting shows came out. But those that stuck around after the anime got canceled and read the manga knew that the best arc of the series hasn’t even been animated yet.
But now, with the outcry of the fans being finally heard, we are getting the final turn of this beloved animated series, so come along and let’s see why this series captured the hearts of so many people.
What is Bleach?
Bleach is a popular anime and manga series created by Tite Kubo. The story follows the life of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who can see ghosts. After accidentally obtaining the powers of a Soul Reaper, a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper, from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki, he is tasked with defending humans from evil spirits and guiding the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. As Ichigo trains to become a full-fledged Soul Reaper, he and his friends, who also possess unique abilities, battle against a wide array of enemies, including other Soul Reapers, Hollows (evil spirits), and Arrancar (Hollows that have gained Soul Reaper powers). The series is known for its action-packed battles, unique characters, and complex story.
Humble Beginnings of a Story
Compared to most of the other anime and manga from its time, Bleach starts with a straightforward premise about a boy who can see ghosts, and while he isn’t the most average kid around, he also wasn’t born when a giant fox attacked or ate some random fruit to be rubber. He sees ghosts and tries to help them pass on into the afterlife, and he may also be a bit of a delinquent that likes to start fights with the local punks. His family is even more quirky and unique as we see he has no mother, while his younger sisters are quite different from the rest of their peers, and the less said about his over-the-top father, the better.
Soon after the start, we see that Ichigo, our main character, soon encounters a monster he cannot harm, and no one can see. This encounter results in him nearly dying if not for the intervention of Rukia strange woman dressed in feudal Japanese clothing. Still, even she cannot save Ichigo and transfers her powers to Ichigo to turn him into a temporary soul reaper. Soon after, he manages to beat the monster called a shadow, and the story truly begins.
Now looking back at the start of the series with all the knowledge of the events to come, we can easily see why certain decisions were made, like Ichigo’s fathers’ true nature and how Ichigo met Rukia on that fateful night. As we later find out, most of the story’s event until the final arc was orchestrated by one man whose ambition led him to challenge god and nearly defeat him on his own.
Lovable Villains
The main villain of the part half of the series is a man called Sōsuke Aizen. One of the greatest anime villains in the same league as Madara and Black Beard. This is due to his plans which have been in the works for many years and are finally coming to fruition, as even Ichigo was born due to Aizen messing with his parents, which led them to each other.
Midway through the series, we finally get to see the defection of Aizen and how he played everyone like a fiddle. Most of which was due to his Zanpakuto, the most authentic manifestation of someone’s inner personality. His Zanpakuto can easily make anyone who has seen it be made to receive a false reality, and it applies to anyone without regard for their power level or rank.
Aizen is just one-half of the most infamous villain duo of bleach. The other is Yhwach, the final antagonist and the Quincy king. He also has been present in the series from the start as a part of his soul was stuck into Ichigo. Why, might you ask? Well, it’s because Ichigo was a genetic mess made up of every single DNA from all the different beings, from human to hollow. Yhwach returns after the Aizen has been sealed, and the Soul society returns to a time of peace, which intern had made them weak. Yhwach made them regret that fact, as his sudden assault caused the death of many fan-favorite characters.
And only after Ichigo unlocks his full power and then, with the help of Aizen, were they able to weaken him enough to seal him away for life.
A Unique Combat System
Bleach and the other big three stood out compared to the rest of the series because of their phenomenal world-building and fascinating combat system, designed to ensure that all of the fights would be as bombastic as possible. But even among the big three stood out from the rest due to the nature of its system being based on swords called Zanpakutos that are themselves manifestations of the person inter will. This led to some of the craziest and wild powers ever.
Like our main character Ichigo who, due to his mixed soul, results in him having a Zanpakuto called Zangetsu, which continues to evolve throughout the series and has the simple ability to make its user faster and stronger until its proper form, which results in it giving its wielder the powers of a Soul Reaper, Quincy hollow and much more.
Zanpakutos can have two forms, known as Shikai and Bankai. Shikai is a relatively weak form that only gives the user access to his Zanpakuto ability. Bankai, compared to it, is such a massive power boost that captions of the Soul society needed to have a Bankai unlocked to become a captain. Other minor systems also exist but only act as a flavoring for the world.
Fan Reception
It might seem strange for many new anime fans that an anime from the early 2000s with subpar animation by today’s standards can still maintain such a strong fanbase. This fanbase was also able to keep the sales of the manga going and be vocal enough to get the studio to listen to them and animate the series’ last arc.
For many fans, the characters kept their interest, from the like of insane fighter Kenpachi to the enigmatic and smooth Byakuya. Fans loved their designs, their abilities, and especially their stories. And when we compare them to the modern-day Shonen characters, we can easily see why the new ones only stay relevant for a season or two.
Conclusion
Bleach might have numerous flaws and fillers that are unbearable sometimes, but when the story gets going. We see the characters and their stories play out, from which we can finally see how bleach endeared itself to so many different people, as it has a bit of everything in it, from combat lovers to story aficionados and in between. It will no doubt remain one of the best Shonen stories ever told.
